What’s Happening?

Rumors have been swirling for a few weeks now about Justin Haley possibly joining Hendrick in the future. Logically, there is only one replacement option, and everything points to Alex Bowman. As these rumors have seemingly been shot down from multiple sources, the plot continues to thicken.

Justin Haley’s Contract

Justin Haley or Rick Ware Racing and Corey Lajoie of Spire Motorsports made an unprecedented announcement leading to Bristol. Effective starting at Kansas, they would swap rides for the remainder of 2024. This put Haley under contract with Spire.

Spire has a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which has fueled rumors that Haley will replace Bowman when his contract expires at the conclusion of the 2025 season. Haley has impressed in 2024 with RWR, taking a team that normally finishes laps down at the end of each race to a solid mid-pack race team. These results have been assisted by the technical alliance of RFK Racing.

Initially, the move seemed off-putting, as Haley had stated earlier in the summer that he was completely committed to RWR as they gave him his break. But that loyalty to RWR was bought out by not Spire themselves, but Hendrick.

Hendrick’s Helping Hand

During a press conference, Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing made a statement about the Haley trade.

We couldn’t compete with the Hendrick offer.

After the rumors were all but killed off, this press conference spun the mill again. This has put the driver of the No. 48 on notice. While the team may have dismissed the rumors, you can only help but wonder about their legitimacy. Haley has performed well above the standard of RWR in 2024, and on the other side, Bowman has underperformed in top-tier Hendrick equipment for the past few seasons.

Bowman Heating Up

When you are on the hot seat, there are two options. You can roll over and die, or you can fight with every bone in your body. Bowman has chosen to fight. Bowman started the Round of 16 below the cutline. After Atlanta, he gained 18 stage points on his way to a 5th-place finish. He followed up at Walkins Glen with 12 more stage points and an 18th-place finish. This had him going into Bristol 41 points above the cutline. At Bristol, he won the pole and locked in his Round of 12 appearance prior to the end of the race.

This sets up the Round of 12. Bowman once again started the round below the cutline at Kansas. During qualifying, he set himself up just outside the top 10 with a 12th-place effort. He turned this into even more points, finishing 9th in stage 1 and winning stage 2 for a total of 12 stage points, followed by a 6th-place finish. After one race in the Round of 12, Bowman is now +8 to the cutline going into Talladega.

From Hot Seat to Contender

Plenty of racing remains in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but Alex Bowman is getting hot at the right time. Whether it is rumors fueling Bowman, newfound speed in the No. 48, or they are getting hot at the right time, Bowman is starting to look like a contender. He has been one of the most consistent drivers since the start of the playoffs, and there is no sign of slowing down.

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